America’s Natural Gas Alliance is a non-profit organization and consists of the leading independent natural gas exploration and production companies in North America. They are a pro-fracking group that works with industry, government, and stakeholders to grow the demand for natural gas. Their goal is to provide cleaner and more secure energy for the future. They believe that natural gas is a clean, reliable, and abundant energy resource.
They claim that as natural gas production is increasing, methane emissions are going down, with a 35% decrease since 2005. Reduced emissions, better control devices and state-of-the-art monitoring technology have both been used to help reduce methane emissions. This can have the effect of reducing health problems related to air pollution. To reach them you can email them at info@anga.us, call them at (201) 789-2642, or write to them at 701 8th Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20001.
The Delaware River Basin Commission includes the New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware governors along with the Division Engineer, North Atlantic Division, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who serve as the federal representative. They are a regional body that oversees a joint approach to monitor the Delaware River Basin without acknowledging political borders. Each commissioner appoints an alternate commissioner, all whom have equal say. The meetings they hold are open to the public.
They have a variety of projects including, water quality, water supply and conservation, project review/permitting, flood loss reduction, natural gas drilling, etc. They have three major areas of concern with fracking: its effect on water supply, groundwater and surface water pollution, and treatment and disposal of “frac” water. They can be contacted by telephone at (609) 883-9500 or mail at Delaware River Basin Commission, 25 State Police Drive, P.O. Box 7360, West Trenton, NJ, 08628-0360.
The Center for Sustainable Shale Development is an independent nonprofit organization claiming that fracking is safe as long as the natural gas industry follows their performance standards. It provides a place for stakeholders to share their knowledge with the goal of developing solutions for any problems there may be with the fracking process. They have developed 15 different performance standards that can be divided into air and climate standards and surface and groundwater performance standards. These include reduced engine emissions, groundwater monitoring, wastewater disposal, and emissions controls on storage tanks.
They are partnered with environmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, and other stakeholders. Since they are a pro-fracking group, others accuse them of green- washing and question the effectiveness of their recommendations. Still, they represent a potentially helpful group in managing and regulating the fracking process. They can be contacted by mail at 625 Liberty Avenue, Suite 395, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222 or by phone at (412) 804-4170.
The Pennsylvania Environmental Council, a nonprofit organization, plays a role in the state regulation of the shale gas industry. They recognize the economic benefits of natural gas while acknowledging the negative effects it can have on the environment. They believe in proactive oversight, pushing for mandatory setbacks, greater planning, public disclosure, groundwater protections, controls for waste and wastewater, public health research, stronger bonding and fines, and greater enforcement.
This group offers an unbiased perspective of fracking, recognizing both the pros and cons associated with the process. This is crucial in moving forward, as the fracking controversy is not black and white. They appear to want to push for fracking to be done in a safe and manageable manner. You can contact their southeast region by phone at (215) 545-4570 or by mail at 1315 Walnut Street, Suite 532, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107.
The New York State Department of Health played an instrumental role in passing the NY ban on fracking. They conducted a study on the health effects of fracking in New York, which contributed to Governor Cuomo’s decision to ban fracking in the state. Cuomo took the emotions involved with the decision out of the equation and listened to the information provided by experts. Experts agreed that the health and environmental effects were too great to proceed with the fracking process in NY. (Gerken 2014)
NYS health officials also stated that there is too much uncertainty and the effects are too widespread to allow for fracking to occur. Governor Cuomo agreed that the risks were too high and NY became the first state to ban fracking, causing debate surrounding the issue in other states. The Department of Health can be contacted by phone at (866) 881-2809, by email at dohweb@health.ny.gov, or by mail at New York State Department of Health, Corning Tower, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY, 12237. (Kaplan 2014)